WESSA Annual Report 2023-2024

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Treasurer’s Report

T The year ending 31 March 2024 marked the beginning of an important journey toward achieving One WESSA. This should result in better alignment between the corporate and membership functions of WESSA as well as transition the organisation to be able to educate, advocate, and act with a clear purpose and without restriction. However, as WESSA’s corporate functions shift away from a project-driven focus and move closer to engaging with our membership, while also collaborating with more donors and sponsors on impactful initiatives, it became essential to develop a revised organisational model and implement an updated control framework.

Accordingly, the WESSA finance team pivoted their efforts to better support the refreshed WESSA strategy while managing legacy challenges and cost base. The financial review gives a high-level overview of the group’s performance, including operational income source mix changes. It also details the impact of the following key initiatives: • A comprehensive review of the internal controls. • A rigorous and detailed review of historical balance sheet items; and • An improved framework for the management of cash resources. While refinement of the organisational model continues, the sound governance and control frameworks implemented to support the change will provide the necessary transparency and confidence required to ensure a sustainable future for WESSA. In the year ahead the focus will continue

to be on supporting One WESSA as well as simplification of the corporate structure and reduction of inefficiencies. As part of this process the tough decision to sell the Bush Pigs education site was taken following commercial and safety considerations. Further work on the approach and process for sourcing new and aligned donors and sponsors in the current year is also expected. We leave the 2023/24 year a stronger and more agile organisation and I can only complement the executive and non-executive team members for the dedication and commitment during some difficult conversations and tough decisions. I look forward to seeing the product of these efforts in the years ahead.